On the first business day after bakers went on strike against Hostess Brands, the Irving-based company said Monday it will permanently close three striking bakeries, putting 627 employees out of work.

Late Friday, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike against Irving-based Hostess to protest cuts and give-backs in the company’s last, best, final contract offer. The contract, which was rejected by 92 percent of the union members who voted, called, in part, for 8 percent pay cuts, a company hiatus from contributions to a multi-employer pension plan and changes in work rules.

As of Monday, bakers had set up picket lines at about 23 of the 36 bakeries and production plants operated by the bankrupt snack maker. Hostess said the strike “has prevented the facilities from producing and delivering products.”

“Our customers will not be affected because we will continue to serve them from other Hostess Brands bakeries, but sadly this action will result in the permanent closure of three facilities and the loss of 627 jobs,” said Gregory Rayburn, Hostess Brands’ chief executive.

“We deeply regret this decision, but we have repeatedly explained that we will close facilities that are no longer able to produce and deliver products because of a work stoppage — and that we will close the entire company if widespread strikes cripple our business.”

The bakeries to be closed immediately are in Seattle, St. Louis and Cincinnati. The Seattle facility employs 110 people and produces Hostess cake products. The St. Louis facility employs 365 people and produces Hostess cakes and Nature’s Pride and Wonder breads.

This is the end result of people buying cheap Chinese Zingers instead of the solid American-built ones.

ZINGAH!!!!!!!

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"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father ... And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

"If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson

Don't really see a problem. When 92% of the workforce says no, then clearly it was an unacceptable contract. Hopefully they thought long and hard about the alternatives if the plants were closed, but taking an 8% pay cut and cessation of payments into their pension plan is a fairly big hit they were being asked to take.

I love the attitude of so many on here who seem to basically support employers no matter what they do. I'm hardly a die-hard labor supporter, but some of you guys are over the top.

It's not that big of a hit if it's necessary to keep the business going considering the alternative. I wonder what the job market looks like right now for Ding Dong chefs.

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Not defending the employer, but just to be clear, they are not losing their pensions, the employer is just not paying into them anymore. They get to keep what is already there. I lost my pension plan some 10 years ago, but still have the balance of what was already paid into it. I don't know many people that have pension plans any longer outside of my friends that are teachers or govt employees.

Defined benefit pensions are definitely dying out outside government jobs. Defined contribution plans, however, still exist outside of government employees. I didn't see anything that makes clear which one this was.

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The good news is that in America these workers can band together, start a new HoHo plant of their own, co-own it together, and share all of the profit that the current owners are now enjoying. In fact, there are even shuttered HoHo plants in their hometown that they can buy.

These aren't small concessions bieng talked about. Their are some people who have worked at the the company for 30 years and are bieng told they no longer have a pension they have paid into for 30 years.

Meanwhile the CEO is still banking 150k a month.

This is the kind of backward thinking that lost these people their jobs and is making unions a thing of the past.

Don't really see a problem. When 92% of the workforce says no, then clearly it was an unacceptable contract. Hopefully they thought long and hard about the alternatives if the plants were closed, but taking an 8% pay cut and cessation of payments into their pension plan is a fairly big hit they were being asked to take.

I love the attitude of so many on here who seem to basically support employers no matter what they do. I'm hardly a die-hard labor supporter, but some of you guys are over the top.

Does it make any difference to you that the employer is bankrupt, and notified the employees that this would be the result if they chose to strike?

Sometimes there is simply no more money to give, no matter the demands or consequences.
Our country as a whole needs to realize that before they all learn the hard way like these people did.